At least 80 people are now confirmed dead in the aftermath of the devastating Maui wildfires, officials reported on Friday. And more than a thousand people are still missing.
Federal officials are now sending in cadaver-sniffing dogs to help find them, CNN reported, a grim admission that the likelihood of finding survivors is decreasing with each passing day. FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Team is also searching inside smoldering buildings, officials in Maui said in a statement.
Rep. Jill Tokuda told CNN on Saturday that rescue officials will also have to dredge the ocean "to make sure that every individual that is lost is found."
The wildfires, which first began on August 8, have destroyed large swaths of Maui, including the historic city of Lāhainā.
On top of the lives lost, officials from the Pacific Disaster Center and FEMA said the fires have caused $5.52 billion in damage. About 86% of the buildings exposed to the fire were residential.
Meanwhile, fires across Maui continue to burn. On Friday afternoon, county officials said the Lāhainā fire is 85% contained. Meanwhile, the Pulehu fire in southwestern Maui is 80% contained, and the Upcountry Maui fire in eastern Maui is at 50% containment.
A fire in Kaanapali — located in western Maui — that prompted an evacuation is now 100% contained, county officials said early Saturday morning.
